Monorail track support



June 22, 1937. E CLERMQNT DUNLAP 2,084,610

MONORAIL TRACK SUPPORT Filed Jan. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fill l l \l!lllllllll a n a Wm M n Pf u u 1; u u n P n m B n n u June 1937- DECLERMONT DUNLAP MONORAIL TRACK SUPPORT Filed Jan. 3, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet2 177126 for: 174 [Pr/0on1 Zz/IrZa a Patented June 22, 1937 PATENTOFFICE MONORAIL TRACK SUPPORT De Clermont Dunlap, Newark, N. J.

Application January 3, 1934, Serial No. 705,056

1 Claim.

This invention relates to overhead monorail railway systems and moreparticularly pertains to an overhead monorail track adapted to betraversed by trucks carrying suspended coaches arranged to travelbeneath the tracks.

' An object of the invention is to provide an overhead monorail trackincluding means for supporting same whereby contiguous rail sections'may be readily assembled on their supports and '10 P sitioned invarious longitudinally extending angular relations to each other on avertical plane so as to facilitate the construction of a monorail trackwith various grades.

Another object is to provide a construction which will permitlongitudinal expansion and contraction of contiguous sections or lengthsof monorail tracks relatively to each other and to overhead supports onwhich they are carried.

Another object is to provide a mounting for 0 overhead monorail trackswhich is so constructed as to enable rapid assemblage of the track.

With the foregoing objects in View together with such other objects andadvantages as may subsequently appear the invention resides in the partsand in the combination, construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed and illustrated by way of example inthe accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view in side elevation illustrating a fragmentary portionof a monorail track as constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the line 2--2 ofFigure 1 showing the expan- 5 sion connection between contiguous ends ofadjacent track girders and their overhead supports;

Figure 3 is a view in section and elevation as seen on the line 3-3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail in section taken on the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view in section as seen on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the track girder support, showing itwith the track girder as removed;

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the manner of assembling themonorail track and of connecting it to the overhead supporting brackets;

Figure 8 is a detail in cross section taken on the line 88 of Figure 7illustrating the rail clamp;

Figure 9 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings more specifically, A

indicates generally a monorail overhead track a which is formed of aseries of longitudinally aligned girders Ill here shown as formed ofI-beams and on the upper margins of which is mounted a rail I I arrangedto form a continuous track adapted to be traversed by monorail trucksfrom which are suspended by hangers cars or 5 coaches disposed beneaththe track.

The track A is supported in an overhead position, that is, in spacedrelation to the ground, on brackets B carried on suitable supports hereshown as comprising uprights or columns C and which brackets B andcolumns C are here shown as formed of I-beams.

In carrying out the present invention, the outer ends of the brackets Bare fitted with laterally projecting flanges I2 and I3, the front facesof which extend vertically on a plane with each other. The flanges I2and I3 are here shown as formed of angle plat-es secured to the oppositesides of the upright web of the brackets B by rivets I I. The flange I2is formed with a circular 20 opening l5, and the flange I3 is formedwith an elongated slot I6 having a straight bottom wall I1. The flangel2 with its circular opening i5 is designed to afford a pivotal supportfor one end of a track girder l0, and for which purpose a bolt I8 isarranged with the shank portion a thereof extending through an openingIS in the upright web of the girder and through the opening I5 in theflange I2; the bolt being provided with the usual head b and nut c whichlatter is screwed on the shank a and is held in place thereon by acotter pin (1 or in any other desired manner. The bolt I8 is formed ofsuch dimensions as to carry the loads imposed on the monorail trackwithout shearing. 35

The flange I3 with its elongated slot I6 is designed to afford anexpansion joint connection between one end of ,the girder I0 and itsassociated bracket B and at the same time afford a pivotal connectionbetween the flange I3 and the end of the girder carried thereon. Ineffecting connection between the girder and the flange I3 a bolt 20 isprovided which bolt includes a shank f, and a head g, and has a threadedend portion on which is screwed a nut it held in place by a cotter pin 1or other suitable fastening.

The shank f of the bolt 20 is passed through the elongated slot I6 andthrough a circular opening 21 in the upstanding web of the girder asparticularly shown in Figure 2. The shank 7 of the bolt 20 is formedadjacent the head g with a shoulder 22 which projects on opposite sidesof the vertical center of the bolt shank and is arranged to seat on theflat, straight surface I'l forming the lower margin of the elongatedslot I6. By the provision of the shoulder 22 a broad bearing surface isafiorded for the bolt which will serve to minimize wear due to shiftingof the bolt longitudinally of the slot 16.

Each girder m is here shown as connected at one end by a pivot bolt 18to a flange [2 on a supporting bracket B and as connected at its otherend by the slidable bolt 20 to the flange 13 of another supportingbracket B. A supporting bracket B is thus provided at the contiguousends of adjacent girder sections.

By employing a single bolt connection between the ends of the girdersand the supporting brackets articulate joints are formed at each end ofeach girder so that contiguous girders may be disposed at variouslongitudinal inclinations relatively to each other thus facilitatingassemblage of the monorail tracks at the end of grades, and by theprovision of the slidable connection between the bolt 2t of one end ofthe girder and its supporting bracket B an expansion joint is effectedwhich will permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the girderwithout distortion of the track and without subjecting the brackets B tolateral strain as would ordinarily result from a rigid connectionbetween each end of a girder and the brackets.

The rails H are secured to the upper flanges of the girders ill atsuitable intervals by means of rail clamps 23 arranged in pairs onopposite sides of the rail i l and which clamps include upstandingfianges 24 arranged to abut against the web of the rail II and alsoinclude downwardly and inwardly turned end portions 25 adapted to engagethe margins of the top flange of the girder as particularly shown inFigure 8. The upstanding webs of the flanges 24 are formed withelongated slots 28 through which are passed bolts 21 extending throughthe rail H. The elongated slots 26 serve as a means for permittinglongitudinal expansion and contraction of the rails H relatively to thegirder IE Extending parallel with the monorail track A is anelectrically conductive rail 28 which is supported on insulating blocks29 carried on the brackets B and on brackets D projecting laterally fromthe girders Ill on the side thereof presented to the brackets B. Theconductor rail 28 is supported on the insulating block 29 and is held inplace thereon by angle plates 30 having inturned end portions 3| whichslidably contact the base flanges of the rail 28 in such manner as topermit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the latter.

I claim:

In a monorail track support, a bracket, a vertical flange carried bysaid bracket formed with an elongated slot, a track girder, a singlebolt extending through said girder and through said elongated slot andrelatively to which said girder is adapted to be swung radially of thebolt to adjust its inclination to the horizontal on initially aflixingone end of the girder to a bracket, said slot being formed with astraight bottom wall, and a shoulder on said bolt seating on said wallto afford a broad bearing surface between said bolt and said flange.

DE CLERMONT DUNLAP.

